Latest news with #KaylaPatterson
The Independent
18-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise. 'We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,' the governor said. State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday. 'It was terrible.' The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative's nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal,' he said. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area. The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking," she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods. Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904. Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night. The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains. National Weather Service offices lost staff The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. ___ See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here. ___ Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Juan Lozano in Houston, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise. 'We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,' the governor said. State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train," she recalled Saturday. 'It was terrible.' The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative's nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal,' he said. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area. The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking," she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods. Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904. Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night. The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains. National Weather Service offices lost staff The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. ___ See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here. ___ Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Juan Lozano in Houston, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
Associated Press
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
At least 18 killed as severe weather lashes Kentucky, and 9 more die elsewhere
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state's southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather. Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise. 'We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,' the governor said. State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged, Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train,' she recalled Saturday. 'It was terrible.' The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors. While the family's own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said. Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff's office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck. He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative's nearby home because their own crawlspace is small. 'We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,' said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed. 'It's one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people — then, when it happens, it's just surreal,' he said. 'It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.' The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads. Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis About 1,200 tornadoes strike the U.S. annually, and they have been reported in all 50 states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional 'Tornado Alley' of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area. The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois — including Chicago — in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day. In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'The devastation is truly heartbreaking,' she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods. Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904. Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan. Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir. At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures. A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains The weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night. The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes. These conditions were expected to continue on Sunday across parts of the central and southern Plains as well as parts of the central High Plains. National Weather Service offices lost staff The storms hit after the Trump administration massively cut staffing of National Weather Service offices, with outside experts worrying about how it would affect warnings in disasters such as tornadoes. The office in Jackson, Kentucky, which was responsible for the area around London, Kentucky, had a March 2025 vacancy rate of 25%; the Louisville, Kentucky, weather service staff was down 29%; and the St. Louis office was down 16%, according to calculations by weather service employees obtained by The Associated Press. The Louisville office was also without a permanent boss, the meteorologist in charge, as of March, according to the staffing data. Experts said any vacancy rate above 20% is a critical problem. ___ See more photos from the severe storms in the South and Midwest here. ___ Contributing were Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz in New York, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Juan Lozano in Houston, and Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland.
BreakingNews.ie
17-05-2025
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Severe weather kills at least 27 people in US Midwest and South
Storm systems sweeping across parts of the US Midwest and South have left at least 27 people dead, many of them in Kentucky where what appeared to be a devastating tornado pulverised homes. In Kentucky, at least 18 people were killed by severe weather, and another 10 were in a critical condition in hospital, Governor Andy Beshear said on Saturday. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County and one was in Pulaski County. Advertisement Among the dead was a firefighter with the Laurel County Fire Department who was fatally injured while responding to the havoc caused by the weather. The fire department did not immediately say how Major Roger Leatherman was injured or when he died. Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in their basement in London as the tornado raged around them. 'You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train,' she recalled on Saturday. 'It was terrible.' Advertisement Rescuers were 'on the ground all night looking for possible survivors' and the search is continuing, according to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Deputy Gilbert Acciardo. An emergency shelter was set up at a local high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving. The National Weather Service has not yet confirmed that a tornado struck, but meteorologist Philomon Geertson said it was likely. The extreme weather ripped across the largely rural area and extended to the London Corbin Airport shortly before midnight. St Louis was heavily affected (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) 'Lives have been changed forever here tonight. This is a time we come together, and we pray for this community,' London Mayor Randall Weddle told WKYT-TV. 'I have never personally witnessed what I've witnessed here tonight. There's a lot of devastation.' The storms were part of a weather system on Friday that killed seven people in Missouri and also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, left several hundred thousand customers without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas. Advertisement St Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed five deaths in her city and said more than 5,000 homes were affected. 'This is truly, truly devastating,' Ms Spencer said, adding that the city was in the process of declaring an emergency and an overnight curfew Friday had been put into place in the areas with the most damage. The number of people injured was not immediately known. Barnes-Jewish Hospital received 20 to 30 patients from the storm with some in serious condition and most expected to be discharged by Friday night, according to hospital spokesperson Laura High. St Louis Children's Hospital received 15 patients with two of them expected to remain in the hospital into the weekend, she said. Advertisement National Weather Service radar indicated a tornado touched down between 2.30pm and 2.50pm in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World's Fair and Olympic Games the same year. Storms downed trees in Missouri (AP) At Centennial Christian Church, City of St Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people later died. Christy Childs, a Saint Louis Zoo spokesperson, said in a text that the zoo would remain closed Saturday because of downed trees and other damage. Childs said all animals were safe and that there were no reports of significant injuries to staff, guests or animals. 'We can't definitively say whether or not it was a tornado — it likely was,' National Weather Service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said. Advertisement A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles south of St Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media. Forecasters say more severe weather could be on the way. 'Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains,' the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Centre said on its website Saturday. The risk was especially high for north Texas.
